The fun encyclopedia of animals is here! See pictures, wallpapers and videos and read fun reviews of products for animals, how tos, and fun stories about our animal friends here.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

5 Mythical Creatures that could have Actually Existed

For those of us who love played video games or are into sci-fi and fantasy, mythical creatures are a big part of our daily lives. Although these creatures sound like some writer just made them up, a number of these animals are actually based on real-life animals that existed or still exist.

Here are mythical creatures and the real animals that inspired them. Dragon

Other than dinosaurs, another inspiration for these feared creatures could be the Megalania. This is a giant lizard which is closely related to the Komodo dragon, one of the biggest reptiles alive today. They grew to about 26 feet in length and weighed at 4300 pounds. Although they didn’t breath fire, their saliva was very poisonous and could kill large animals in a number of hours.

Emela-Ntouka

This is a creature that originated in Central Africa. It’s described as a big animal that has a tusk on its snout and a long tail. Its name simply translates to elephant killer, because it’s said that this creature takes down and kills elephants. The profile of this animal fits a rhino, except for the tail. And since rhinos are known to be very aggressive, it’s possible that one can take an elephant down.

Dire Wolves

Like the wolves featured in the popular TV show Game of Thrones, dire wolves are projected as giant, powerful fearsome wolves. Real dire wolves existed during the Rancholabrean age, which was 240,000 to 11,000 years ago. These wolves were about the size of gray wolf, only they had a heavier build. It’s believed that the dire wolves are the major competitor over prey with the saber tooth tiger.

Kraken

This legendary sea monster is said to be able to take down fleets of boats. The kraken fits the description of the rare giant squid, which lives in the deepest parts of the ocean. A giant squid was even recently capture near the coast of japan which measured 46 feet long and had hooks in its suckers. If a giant squid can take down a whale, a boat sounds pretty easy.

Imoogi

Also known as the Korean dragon, the Imoogi is described as a giant snake-like creature. The closest real creature to this description is the Titanoboa. This is the biggest, heaviest and longest snake, which is said to have died out 10 million years after the dinosaurs became extinct. A real life replica of this snake was even presented in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal. It was 49 feet long and weighed in at 1,135-kilograms.